Thursday, January 31, 2013

At Stanford, California:Chasson Randle scored 17 points while Josh Huestis added 14 of his own to go with his 13 rebounds on Wednesday night as the Stanford Cardinal (13-8 overall, 4-4 in Pac-12 play) ended the Oregon Ducks' (#10 in the Associated Press poll, #12 in the USA Today/Coaches rankings; 18-3, 7-1) nine-game winning streak, handing the visitors their first conference setback of the season, 76-52.

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Patty Andrews, the last surviving member of the legendary sister singing trio, The Andrews Sisters, passed away on Wednesday at Northridge, California from natural causes at the age of 94.

Mezzo-soprano Patty, along with sisters contralto LaVerne (who passed away in 1967) and soprano Maxine (who passed away in 1995), recorded numerous hits during the 1930s and 1940s, behaps their best remembered was "The Boogie Woogie Boy ."

The girls recorded many hit songs with Bing Crosby, including "Pistol Packin' Mama" from 1943 and "Don't Fence Me In" from 1944.

They also appeared in many motion pictures during the 1940s, including "Buck Privates" and "In The Navy" (both with Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, both 1941) and "Private Buckaroo" (1942).

Save for a period in the early-to-mid 1950s, when Patty performed as a single act, the sisters were active as a threesome from the mid-1920s until shortly before LaVerne's passing.

Speaking of "Private Buckaroo," here are the girls performing one of their most famous hits "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree" in this excerpt from the 1942 Universal picture, along with Harry James and his orchestra, and an unwanted Shemp Howard (from his days in-between stints with The Three Stooges).

Monday, January 28, 2013

At Cheney, Washington:A 20-point, 13-rebound, five-assist night from Venky Jois carried the Eastern Washington Eagles (5-15 overall, 3-7 in Big Sky play) to a 76-65 home win on Monday night over the slumping Portland State Vikings (5-12, 3-7). The Eagles, who never trailed in the game, snapped a four-game losing streak---a similar streak that the Vikings now find themselves in.

Following their wins over Washington State and Washington at home this past Wednesday and Saturday, respectively, the Oregon Ducks climbed up six spots in the latest Associated Press (media) poll, released on Monday, to #10.

At Eugene, Oregon:In front of their first home sellout in two seasons (12,364 fans at Matthew Knight Arena), the Oregon Ducks (#16 in the Associated Press poll, #19 in the USA Today/Coaches poll), with E.J. Singler scoring 18 points, defeated the visiting Washington Huskies 81-76 on Saturday.Arsalan Kazemi (who had 11 rebounds) and Carlos Emory each scored eleven points for the Ducks.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

At Corvallis, Oregon:Devon Collier scored 16 points while Roberto Nelson added 15 as the Oregon State Beavers (11-8 overall, 1-5 in Pac-12 play) knocked off the visiting Washington Huskies (12-7, 4-2) on Wednesday night for their first conference victory of the season, snapping a six-game losing streak, all this despite 23 points from the Huskies' C.J. Wilcox.

At Eugene, Oregon:E.J. Singler scored 19 points, 14 of them in the second half on Wednesday night, as the Oregon Ducks (#16 in the Associated Press poll, #19 in the USA Today/Coaches poll; 17-2 overall, 6-0 in Pac-12 play) came back from a ten-point halftime deficit and defeated the visiting Washington State Cougars (10-9, 1-5) 68-61.

Monday, January 21, 2013

Following their triumphant visit to Los Angeles, the Oregon Ducks climbed up five spots to #16 in the Associated Press (media) poll that was released on Monday. The Ducks entered the USA Today/Coaches poll at #19.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

The National Football League's two conference championship games took place on Sunday.At Atlanta:Frank Gore ran for two second-half touchdowns (a five-yarder in the third quarter and a nine-yarder--what proved to be the game winner--in the fourth) as the San Francisco 49ers erased a 17-point second-quarter deficit to defeat the Atlanta Falcons 28-24 on the road to win their first National Football Conference title in eighteen years. The Niners won their first road playoff game (other than Super Bowls) in 24 years. The Niners, coached by Jim Harbaugh, will play in their sixth Super Bowl, having won on all five previous tries.At Foxborough, Massachusetts:Joe Flacco threw for three touchdowns in the second half----one in the third quarter of five yards to Dennis Pitta and two in the fourth quarter (of three and eleven yards) to Anquan Boldin---as the Baltimore Ravens overpowered the home-standing New England Patriots 28-13, avenging their American Football Conference championship game defeat of last year. The Ravens, coached by John Harbaugh (Jim's older brother), will make their second Super Bowl appearance (they manhandled the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV twelve years ago) at New Orleans on February 3 at 3:30 PM Pacific Time over CBS.

At Los Angeles:Aaron Fuller's only basket of the game, with 4.8 seconds remaining, lifted the Southern California Trojans (8-11 overall, 3-3 in Pac-12 play) to a 69-68 home victory over the Oregon State Beavers (10-8, 0-5) on Saturday. Byron Wesley scored 19 points and Eric Wise, who blocked what would have been a game-winning shot as time expired, added 18 to pace the Trojans, offsetting Roberto Nelson's 26-point performance for the Beavers, who have now dropped six of their last seven starts.

Hall of Fame manager Earl Weaver, who piloted the Baltimore Orioles to four American League pennants and the 1970 World Series championship, passed away on Saturday at the age of 82.According to the Orioles' website, Mr. Weaver passed away while on a team-sponsored cruise in the Caribbean.The Duke of Earl, as the salty-tongued manager was affectionately nicknamed, won 1,480 games and was named Manager of the Year three times.Earl was ejected 91 times, including both games of a doubleheader.Earl Weaver was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996.

Baseball legend Stan Musial, who spent his entire 22-year Hall of Fame career with the St. Louis Cardinals, passed away on Saturday at the age of 92.Although he actually started his professional career as a minor-league pitcher, an injury forced Mr. Musial to become a full-time hitter (and outfielder).And what a hitter Stan the Man was, as he collected 3,630 career base hits (1,815 each at home and on the road), 475 home runs, and a .331 batting average.Stan was a three-time National League Most Valuable Player and a 20-time All-Star.In 1969, Stan was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, with his name included on 93.2% of the ballots.Rest in peace, Stan the Man.

At Los Angeles:Tony Woods scored 18 points on Saturday as the Oregon Ducks (#21 in the Associated Press poll; 16-2 overall, 5-0 in Pac-12 play [first time since 1973-74]) defeated the UCLA Bruins (#24 in the AP poll, #25 in the USA Today/Coaches poll; 15-4, 5-1) 76-67 on the road.

At Grand Forks, North Dakota:Aaron Anderson (a career high) and Troy Huff (a season high) each scored 25 points on Saturday as the North Dakota Fighting Sioux (7-10 overall, 4-4 in Big Sky play) defeated the Portland State Vikings (5-10, 3-5; 0-8 on the road) 85-76.

At Los Angeles:Damyean Dotson scored 16 points on Thursday night as the Oregon Ducks (#21 in the Associated Press poll; 15-2 overall, 4-0 in Pac-12 play, their first such start in league play since 1973-74) held off the home-standing Southern California Trojans (7-11, 2-3) 76-74, spoiling Bob Cantu's debut as the Trojans' interim head coach (head coach Kevin O'Neill was canned on Monday). J.T. Terrell scored 22 points for USC.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Jimmy O'Neill, the Oklahoma-born Los Angeles disc jockey best remembered for hosting the 1964-66 ABC network television series Shindig, passed away this past Friday at his West Hollywood, California home at age 73.

According to his son, Jimmy had diabetes and heart problems.

During the show's fifteen-month run (in which it aired in single 30-minute, one-hour, and two weekly 30-minute formats), many top acts in popular music were featured on the show, such as The Beatles (in a prerecorded segment produced in England), the Rolling Stones, Sam Cooke, the Righteous Brothers, the Mamas and Papas, the Beach Boys, and Tina Turner, amongst others.

Monday, January 14, 2013

Following their Thursday-Sunday home sweep of the Pac-12 Conference's Arizona schools, the Oregon Ducks reached the Associated Press (media) men's collegiate basketball Top 25 rankings for the first time this season at #21. The Ducks are just outside the Top 25 rankings in the USA Today/ESPN/Coaches' poll, landing at #26, just one point behind UCLA (who the Ducks visit this coming Saturday) .

Again, no support whatsoever in either poll for any of Oregon's other three men's college basketball teams.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

At Eugene, Oregon:Tony Woods, Damyean Dotson, and Carlos Emory each scored 14 points as the Oregon Ducks (14-2 overall, 3-0 in Pac-12 play) remained unbeaten in conference action following their 68-65 Sunday home win over the Arizona State Sun Devils (14-3, 3-1).

The divisional phase of the National Football League playoffs concluded with two Sunday games.NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE:At Atlanta:Matt Bryant connected on a 49-yard field goal with eight second remaining as the Atlanta Falcons blew a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter then bounced back to top the visiting Seattle Seahawks 30-28. The Falcons advanced to the NFC title game for the third time in franchise history and will host the San Francisco 49ers next Sunday at 12:00 Noon Pacific Time (FOX).AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE:At Foxborough, Massachusetts:Tom Brady became the winningest quarterback in NFL playoff history as he completed 25 of 40 passes for 344 yards and three touchdowns (two to Shane Vereen and one to Brandon Lloyd)for his 17th playoff victory (topping Hall of Famer Joe Montana) as the New England Patriots topped the visiting Houston Texans 41-28. The Patriots will host the Baltimore Ravens next Sunday at 3:30 PM Pacific Time (CBS) in a rematch of last year's AFC title game, which the Pats won.

Saturday, January 12, 2013

The divisional round of the National Football League playoffs commenced with two games played on Saturday.AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE:At Denver:After quarterback Joe Flacco connected with Jacoby Jones on a desperation 70-yard game-tying touchdown pass with 31 seconds remaining to force overtime, Justin Tucker kicked a 47-yard field goal 1:42 into the second overtime period as the Baltimore Ravens upended the home-standing, top-seeded Denver Broncos 38-35 to advance to their second straight AFC championship game (played next Sunday at either Houston or New England).NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE:At San Francisco:After throwing an interception that was returned 52 yards by Sam Shields for the game's opening touchdown, quarterback Colin Kaepernick settled down, completed 17 of 31 passes for 263 yards and a pair of touchdowns (both to Michael Crabtree--of 12 and 20 yards) and ran for two more scores (20 and 56 yards) while running for 181 yards (an NFL single-game playoff record for a quarterback) and amassing 444 total yards of offense as the San Francisco 49ers downed the visiting Green Bay Packers 45-31 to reach the NFC championship game for a second straight year. The Niners (who picked up 579 total yards of offense, 323 on the ground, both franchise single-game playoff records) will face the winner of this coming Sunday's Seattle-Atlanta contest in next Sunday's conference title game.

At Corvallis, Oregon:Solomon Hill (who made five three-point shots) and Mark Lyons each scored 16 points on Saturday as the Arizona Wildcats (#4 in the Associated Press poll, #3 in the USA Today/ESPN/Coaches poll; 15-1 overall, 3-1 in Pac-12 play) bounced back from their Thursday defeat at Oregon to down the Oregon State Beavers (10-6, 0-3) 80-70 on the road.

Friday, January 11, 2013

At Corvallis, Oregon:Jahii Carson scored 20 points while Carrick Felix added 18 (to go with his 14 rebounds) on Thursday night as the Arizona State Sun Devils (14-2 overall, 3-0 in Pac-12 play) held off the Oregon State Beavers (10-5, 0-2) 72-62 on the road.

Monday, January 07, 2013

At Miami Gardens, Florida:Running back Eddie Lacy (Offensive Most Valuable Player) ran for 140 yards and a touchdown and he caught a pass for another score while T.J. Yeldon ran for 108 yards and another score as the Alabama Crimson Tide (#2 in the BCS standings, Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches polls; 13-1) won their second straight Bowl Championship Series national title game and their third in the last four years with a 42-14 domination of the previously-undefeated Notre Dame Fighting Irish (#1 in all three previously mentioned rankings; 12-1) on Monday. The title was Alabama's 10th since the beginning of the newswire poll era in 1936.

At Mobile, Alabama:Ryan Aplin threw for 213 yards and a touchdown (31 yards to J.D. McKissic, one of 11 catches for 113 yards) as the Arkansas State Red Wolves (#25 in the Bowl Championship Series standings and the Associated Press poll; 10-3) racked up their first bowl victory since promotion to the Football Bowl Subdivision in 1992 with their 17-13 win over the Kent State Golden Flashes (11-3) in Sunday night's GoDaddy.com Bowl.

At Corvallis, Oregon:In the Pac-12 Conference-opening contest for both schools on Sunday night, Danyean Dotson scored 21 points as the Oregon Ducks (12-2 overall, 1-0 in Pac-12 play) used a 9-0 second-half run to hold off the Oregon State Beavers 79-66 (10-4, 0-1) on the road.E.J. Singler added 15 points and nine rebounds for the Ducks.Ahmad Starks scored 22 points and Roberto Nelson added 18 for the Beavers.

Sunday, January 06, 2013

The opening round of the National Football League playoffs concluded with two games contested on Sunday.AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE:At Baltimore:Anquan Boldin caught five passes for a franchise-record 145 yards and a touchdown while Ray Lewis, in his final home game, made 13 tackles as the Baltimore Ravens defeated the visiting Indianapolis Colts 24-9 to advance to this coming Saturday's AFC divisional playoff game against the Denver Broncos on the road.NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE:After trailing 14-0, the Seattle Seahawks, with Marshawn Lynch running for 131 and a touchdown and quarterback Russell Wilson completing 15 of 26 passes for 187 (as well as running eight times for 67 yards), scored 24 unanswered points en route to a 24-14 road victory over the Washington Redskins. The Seahawks, coming off their first road playoff win since New Year's Eve of 1983 (at Miami), will visit the Atlanta Falcons in an NFC divisional playoff next Sunday.PLAYOFF SCHEDULE FOR NEXT WEEKEND:American Football Conference:Next Saturday:Baltimore @ Denver, 1:30 PM (CBS)Next Sunday:Houston @ New England, 1:30 PM (CBS)National Football Conference:Next Saturday:Green Bay @ San Francisco, 5:00 PM (FOX)Next Sunday:Seattle @ Atlanta, 10:00 AM (FOX)All times Pacific

Saturday, January 05, 2013

At Frisco, Texas:Quarterback Brock Jensen ran for three touchdowns and Sam Ojuri scored twice as the North Dakota State Bison (14-1) repeated as NCAA Football Championship Subdivision national champions on Saturday following their 39-13 championship-game triumph over the Sam Houston State Bearkats (11-4) in a rematch of last year's title game.

At Birmingham, Alabama:Bo Wallace threw for three touchdowns on Saturday as the Ole Miss Rebels (7-6) dominated the Pittsburgh Panthers (6-7) 38-17 in the BBVA Compass Bowl.The game was the Panthers' finale as a Big East Conference team. Pittsburgh joins the Atlantic Coast Conference next season.

The National Football League playoffs commenced on Saturday with two games.AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE:At Houston:Arian Foster carried the ball 32 times for 140 yards and a touchdown (a one-yarder) while Shayne Graham made four field goals against his former club as the Houston Texans outlasted the visiting Cincinnati Bengals 19-13 in their opening round contest.The Texans will visit the New England Patriots in an AFC divisional playoff next Sunday at Foxborough, Massachusetts.NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE:At Green Bay, Wisconsin:John Kuhn scored two touchdowns (a three-yard run and a nine-yard catch) and DuJuan Harris ran for another (nine yards) as the Green Bay Packers overpowered the visiting Minnesota Vikings 24-10 in an NFC opening-round contest.The Packers will visit the San Francisco 49ers next Saturday night for a divisional playoff.

Friday, January 04, 2013

At Arlington, Texas:Quarterback Johnny Manziel ran for two touchdowns (runs of 23 and 5 yards), threw for two more (33 yards to Ryan Swope and 34 to Uzoma Nwachukwu), and set a Cotton Bowl record with 516 total yards on Friday night as the Texas A&M Aggies (#9 in the Bowl Championship Series rankings and USA Today/Coaches poll, #10 in the Associated Press poll;11-2) busted open what had been a close contest at halftime and routed the Oklahoma Sooners (#11 in the BCS and coaches' rankings, #12 in the AP poll; 10-3) 41-13.

Thursday, January 03, 2013

At San Diego:Chris Anderson scored 14 points as the San Diego Toreros (8-8 overall, 1-0 in WCC play) defeated the visiting Portland Pilots (7-9, 0-1) 61-50 on Thursday night in the West Coast Conference opener for both schools.

At Bozeman, Montana:Flavien Davis scored 16 points and Christian Moon added 15 on Thursday as the Montana State Bobcats (4-7 overall, 1-2 in Big Sky play) held off two second-half comebacks by the Portland State Vikings (3-7, 1-2) and defeated the visitors 62-59.

At Glendale, Arizona:De'Anthony Thomas returned the opening kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown, then caught one of two touchdown passes from Marcus Mariota for another score (from 23 yards) as the Oregon Ducks (#4 in the Bowl Championship Series standings, #5 in the Associated Press poll, #3 in the USA Today/Coaches poll; 12-1) defeated the Kansas State Wildcats (#5 in the BCS, #7 in the AP poll, #6 in the coaches' poll; 11-2) 35-17 in Thursday's Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. Mr. Mariota, who also threw a TD pass (24 yards) to running back Kenjon Barner (who ran for 143 yards), also ran for a score (two yards).In what may have been his final game as Ducks head football coach (he's being pursued by several NFL teams), Chip Kelly has coached Oregon to a Bowl Championship Series contest in each of his four seasons at the helm, winning his last two.

Wednesday, January 02, 2013

At New Orleans:Terell Floyd returned an interception 38 yards for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater threw for a pair of scores on Wednesday night as the Louisville Cardinals (#21 in the Bowl Championship Series standings, #22 in the Associated Press poll, #18 in the USA Today/Coaches poll; 11-2) shocked the Florida Gators (#3 in the BCS standings; #4 in both the AP and coaches' polls; 11-2) 33-23 in the Allstate Sugar Bowl, part of the BCS.

Patti Page, the honey-voiced alto best remembered for such 1950s hits as "Tennessee Waltz," "Mockingbird Hill," "How Much Is That Doggie In The Window," and "Old Cape Cod," passed away on Tuesday at Encinitas, California at the age of 85.Miss Page, born Clara Ann Fowler in 1927 in Oklahoma, was believed to be the first artist to overdub herself. In 1948, Mitch Miller, a Mercury Records producer at the time, had Patti do it first on a song called "Confess," because there were no backup singers available due to a strike.She used that same process two years later when she cut "Tennessee Waltz," which sold 10 million copies.Here's Patti on early television, performing "The Tennessee Waltz."Thanks for the memories, Patti. Rest in peace.

Tuesday, January 01, 2013

At Miami:Senior Fullback Lonnie Pryor carried the ball five times for 134 yards and two touchdowns on Tuesday night as the Florida State Seminoles (#12 in the Bowl Championship Series standings and the USA Today/Coaches poll, #13 in the Associated Press poll; 12-2) defeated the Northern Illinois Huskies (#15 in the BCS standings, #16 in both the AP and coaches' polls; 12-2) 31-10 in the Discover Orange Bowl. The game was the first Bowl Championship Series contest involving a Mid-American Conference school.

At Pasadena, California:Stepfan Taylor ran for 89 yards and a touchdown while Kevin Hogan passed for 123 yards as the Stanford Cardinal (#6 in the Bowl Championship Series standings, #8 in both the Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches polls; 12-2) won their first Rose Bowl game since 1972 on Tuesday, 20-14 over the Wisconsin Badgers (#23 in the coaches' poll) who have now lost the Rose Bowl game in three successive years.This was the first of the Bowl Championship Series contests.

At Dallas:Quarterback Cliff Chelf threw three touchdown passes as the Oklahoma State Cowboys (8-5) rolled up 524 yards of offense en route to a 58-14 annihilation of the Purdue Boilermakers (6-7) in Tuesday's Heart of Dallas Bowl.

At Orlando, Florida:Quarterback Aaron Murray threw a school-bowl-record five touchdown passes on Tuesday as the Georgia Bulldogs (#7 in the Bowl Championship Series standings, #6 in the Associated Press poll, and #5 in the USA Today/Coaches rankings; 12-2) outlasted the Nebraska Cornhuskers (#16 in the BCS, #23 in the AP poll, #21 in the coaches' rankings; 10-4) 45-31 in the Capital One Bowl.

At Tampa, Florida:Dylan Thompson threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Bruce Ellington in the final minute as the South Carolina Gamecocks (#10 in the Bowl Championship Series standings and USA Today/Coaches poll, #11 in the Associated Press rankings; 11-2) edged out the Michigan Wolverines (#18 in the BCS, #19 in the AP poll, #22 in the coaches' poll; 8-5) 33-28 in a see-saw Outback Bowl played on Tuesday.

At Jacksonville, Florida:A first-quarter interception from Quentin Williams was returned 29 yards for a touchdown while a lake pickoff from Nick Vanhoose ran it back 39 yards to set up another score as the Northwestern Wildcats (#20 in the Bowl Championship Series standings, #21 in the Associated Press poll, and #17 in the USA Today/Coaches rankings; 10-3) completed their first ten-win campaign since 1995 by defeating the Mississippi State Bulldogs (8-5) 34-20 in Tuesday's Gator Bowl Game.The win was the Wildcats' first in a bowl game since 1949, ending an NCAA record-tying streak of nine straight bowl losses.

At Eugene, Oregon:The Oregon Ducks (11-2) remained unbeaten at home following their 56-43 Monday win over the Nevada Wolf Pack (9-5). Carlos Emory and Tony Woods each scored 13 points to pace the Ducks, who have won all ten games played at home thus far this season.

At Atlanta:Quarterback Tajh Boyd completed a 26-yard pass to DeAndre Hopkins on a fourth-and-16 play late in the fourth quarter, setting up Chandler Catanzaro's game-winning 37-yard field goal as the Clemson Tigers (#14 in the Bowl Championship Series standings and the Associated Press poll, #13 in the USA Today/Coaches poll; 11-2) capped off their first 11-win season since their national championship campaign of 1981 with a 25-24 victory over the LSU Tigers (#8 in the BCS standings, #9 in the AP poll, #7 in the coaches' rankings; 10-3) in Monday night's Chick-fil-A Bowl.

At Memphis, Tennessee:Trey Watts ran for 149 yards and Alex Singleton carried the ball for three touchdowns as the Tulsa Golden Hurricane (11-3) wrapped up only their second-ever eleven-victory campaign with a 31-17 Liberty Bowl win over the Iowa State Cyclones (6-7) on Monday.

At El Paso, Texas:Tevin Washington threw for a touchdown and ran for another as the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (7-7; they had to get a waiver from the NCAA to play in this bowl as they were 6-7) knocked off the demoralized Southern California Trojans (7-6) 21-7 in Monday's Hyundai Sun Bowl.